


Faint for You

by Lovelyziam



Series: Tumblr Drabbles [21]
Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - College/University, M/M, also kind of a
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-01
Updated: 2019-10-01
Packaged: 2020-11-08 19:01:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,034
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20840441
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lovelyziam/pseuds/Lovelyziam
Summary: He groaned, reaching out in an attempt to feel for the remote and turn the damned thing off, only for the yelling to abruptly cut off as his hand hit something warm and solid.What, Liam thought, before prying his eyes open to peer at what his hand had run into. The first thing he saw was inky black hair and smooth, tan skin. In a rush, Liam’s memories all came flooding back.Oh, God,Liam hadfainted. He’d been so busy fuckingramblingto his cute TA that he hadn’t bothered to take a fucking breath and he’d passed out.





	Faint for You

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted [here](https://lovlieziam.tumblr.com/post/187992667956/i-love-you-and-your-writings-so-much-love)

Liam woke up to a pounding headache, and an ache in his back. He must’ve fallen asleep on the couch with the TV on because it was so _loud_. Whatever he was watching had a lot of yelling, and, honestly, he had had about enough of it.

He groaned, reaching out in an attempt to feel for the remote and turn the damned thing off, only for the yelling to abruptly cut off as his hand hit something warm and solid.

_What_, Liam thought, before prying his eyes open to peer at what his hand had run into. The first thing he saw was inky black hair and smooth, tan skin. In a rush, Liam’s memories all came flooding back.

Going to the coffee shop, trying to get caffeine to fuel him through the next couple of hours so he could finish his final project. Running on an already pathetic amount of sleep. The cute TA, Zayn, from his senior seminar class coming over to say hi. Liam’s severely sleep deprived brain yelling _TALK! BE INTERESTING! TALK!_ Liam fucking _listening_ to it and just not shutting up, not bothering to take a breath between his ramblings. Thinking ‘hey, don’t brain’s need oxygen?’ and then _faintly_, some sort of shout before darkness consumed him.

_Oh, God,_ Liam had _fainted_. He’d been so busy fucking _rambling_ to his cute TA that he hadn’t bothered to take a fucking breath and he’d _passed out._

Vaguely, he was aware that Zayn was saying something to him, but all Liam could think was a horrified string of _no, no, no, no, please God no._

Zayn’s brows drew together, his concern obvious on his face as he moved his hand from Liam’s shoulder to cup his cheek. It was in that moment that Liam realized exactly where he was laying: on the coffee shop floor, surrounded by concerned customers and workers, with his head in Zayn’s lap.

Liam had never wanted the floor to open up beneath him so bad in his life.

“Liam?” Zayn asked, his thumb slowly stroking Liam’s—no doubt extremely red—cheek.

“Yeah?” Liam croaked out.

Zayn’s shoulder sagged a bit, relief at Liam’s response obvious. “Are you okay? How are you feeling?”

Liam closed his eyes, kind of wishing he’d just pass back out again. “Like I wanna die?”

That startled a laugh out of Zayn, causing Liam’s eyes to pop open and watch his joy in real time. “Do you remember what happened?”

Liam groaned, barely resisting the urge to hide his face—his instinct was to turn it and press it into Zayn’s stomach to hide, but, boy, wouldn’t that just embarrass him further?

“Rather wish I di’n’t, actually.”

Zayn laughed again, his thumb still making slow sweeps over Liam’s cheek, the fingers of his other hand buried in Liam’s hair. He was loathed to admit it out loud, but those hands were rather soothing. It was just—he had pictured cuddle Zayn under _very_ different circumstances, not, y’know, while wishing he was dead.

“Liam, you fainted…straight into my arms.” And fuck Zayn _very much_ for sounding so amused by it. Liam knew what happened, thank you very much. Liam squeezed his eyes shut again, praying for the universe to just _give him a break for once._ “You know,” Zayn continued. “If you wanted my attention you didn’t have to go to such extremes.”

Liam felt his eyes snap open, his gaze immediately focusing on Zayn’s teasing smile, the fond look in his eyes. Liam’s breath caught.

“Zayn Malik…are you flirting with me?”

Zayn’s smile widened, his cheeks pushing up and his nose crinkling and _fuck_, if Liam hadn’t already been sprawled across Zayn’s lap, he’s pretty sure his knees would’ve given out.

“Maybe. I figured it was a better plan than collapsing in your arms to try and get your attention.” Zayn gave a light shrug, mischief still evident on his face. Liam only gave a smug grin in response, his embarrassment forgotten for the moment.

“Well, it seems to be working so far, yeah?”

Zayn opened his mouth, a retort on the tip of his tongue, before someone clearing their throat interrupted him. Both Zayn and Liam’s heads swung around, reality crashing back into Liam while looking at the, clearly amused, barista.

They were still sprawled on the coffee shop’s _floor_. Fuck. Liam felt his cheeks heat again, embarrassment slamming into him at full force.

“As cute as this all is,” the barista began. “I’d hate to see the two of you get trampled when the lunch rush comes in. If he really is alright, maybe you two could move this to a table instead of the floor?”

Liam cleared his throat, levering himself up and off the floor, Zayn doing the same next to him. The barista gave them one last humor filled smile, before returning behind the counter.

Liam was trying to think up the best, least embarrassing escape plan, when a hand on his wrist drew his attention to the man next to him.

“So…,” Zayn started. “Coffee?” There was a faint dusting of red across Zayn’s cheeks, only noticeable if you were looking for it. “I-I mean,” Zayn continued, his cheeks flaring more red right before Liam’s eyes. “The semester is technically over, y-you’ve just got your final project, yeah? A-and I don’t, I mean I don’t grade those. That’s, my responsibilities are over for the semester. Well, I mean, they’re not, but, like, I don’t have any more say in your grade and I-” Zayn turned away, his hand falling away from Liam’s wrist. “I just mean that I’m not technically your TA anymore, so there’s no, ah…rule against us dating anymore.”

Liam felt a small, shy smile spread across his lips at Zayn’s ramblings. “How long have you been planning to ask me out, Zayn?”

Zayn stuttered, his cheeks still bright red as his eyes met Liam’s. Liam couldn’t help the laugh that slipped past his lips as he reached forward to intertwine their fingers.

“Coffee sounds great.” And really, Liam thought maybe the universe _was_ finally giving him a break, especially since it allowed Zayn to smile at Liam like that.


End file.
